Railway-switch.



E. C. BACHFIELD.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16. I917.

Patented Feb.12,1918.

In ve ni'o r Ed Ward Cfiamfiem,

flttorn ya EDWARD C. BACHFIELIQOF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-SWITCI-L Application filed April 16, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. BACH- rinLn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improved railway switch and comprises apeculiar railway tie in which one portion constitutes the fixed memberto be embedded in the base or bed of the railway and the other themovable member on which the switch rails are mounted.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section cf arailway embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail transverse section ofthe tie itself; and Fig. 3 is a side view of the tie and an end view oftwo rails.

My tie is composed of a lower member 1 designed to be secured to theroad-bed in any desired manner and to be stationary and firm, and of anupper movable member 2 designed to be shifted laterally of the road-b3dor lengthwise with respect to the other member 1. These two members areconnected by a slidable joint of any desired character, preferably adovetailed joint, as shown at 3 in Fig. 2.

The lower member of each tie being embedded and secured to the roadbase, the upper member receives the rails. As many of these ties areemployed as will be suitable for the length of the switch-rail, that is,the rail which is shifted from alinement with the abutting rail toalinement with the siding rail. These switch-rails I indicate at 4 inFig. 1 and they are to be shifted laterally from alinement, say with theline rails 5 to alinement with the siding rails 6. The manner ofsecuring the rails to the ties may be that commonly employed or may bethat special means set forth in my application filed April 16th, 1917,Ser. No. 162,243, for improvements in railway ties, in which a specialseat 7 is formed in the tie or tie block to receive the rail base and aspecial clamp 8 is employed for clamping and securing the rail in suchseat. I have shown in the present drawings this special type of tie andseat with its securing clamp, but it will be understood that the featureof my two member tie is independent of this par- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Serial No. 162,241..

ticular means for securing the rails to the ties. I prefer this meansbut do not confine myself to it.

Returning to Fig. 1 again, it will be seen that one of the slidablesections 2 of the tie is connected to a pitman 9, in turn secured to acrank arm 10 on a switch shaft 11 operated by a lever 12. When theswitchrails are to be shifted from one position to another these switchdevices are operative and the upper members of the ties will slide onthe lower members and thus move with the switch-rails.

In this way the relation of one switch rail to the other is notdisturbed and is always maintained, which insures the equal movement ofboth switch rails in adjusting them into alinement with the other rails.Again, this arrangement affords a smooth and easy adjustment of theswitch rails because the members of the tie will readily travel the oneon the other. To facilitate this 1 provide for lubrication between thesliding surfaces. At 13 and 1a I indicate caps which fit over greaseorifices 15 shown particularly in Fig. 2. Lubricant is thus introducedto' the sliding surfaces, facilitating the movement of the one tiemember on the other.

By the construction described I have provided means whereby thepermanent connection of the rails with the tie is not disturbed orstrained by the adjustments of the switch rails, and whereby suchadjustment is easily and smoothly made.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it willbe un derstood that the same has been chosen for the purposes ofillustration only, and that I do not desire to be limited to the detailsof construction shown and described, for obvious modifications willoccur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway structure, the combination, with railway ties, eachcomprising a fixed base member and an upper member slidablelongitudinally thereon, and connected thereto by a dovetailed joint, ofrails above said upper members, and clamps mounted on said upper membersand engaging said rails, and hand operated members to adjust the uppermembers whereby to move said rails to and from switching position.

2. In a railway structure, the combination, with a series of railwayties each composed of a lower fixed member and an upper slidable member,the members being interconnected by a dovetailed joint, of rails securedto the upper members, and devices to shift the upper members back andforth on the lower members. i

3. In a railway structure, the combina tion, with railway ties, eachcomprising a fixed base member having a flat upper surface and an uppermember, said two members being connected by a dovetailed joint per- Vtudinally along said lower members, of rails above said upper members,clamps mounted in the upper members and outside of and engaging saidrails, means for lubricating the sliding abutting surfaces of said upperand lower members, and hand operated means for sliding said uppermembers, whereby to move said rails to and from switching position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

EDWARD o. BACHFIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,by'addre'ssing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

